Bkake beam tie



`bers when fitted together.

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 BRAKE BEAM TIE Edwin E. Van Cleave, Chicago, lll., and William H. Sale, Richmond, Va., assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Naylor Pipe Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 20, 1940, Serial No. 336,188

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tie devices for holding together elements of a brake beam asdisclosed in the patent to William I-I. Sale, No. 2,142,417, dated January 3, 1939. The improvements particularly relate to the interlocking construction of the castings which form the tie and to a pair of mutually crossing channels within the tie for seating either end of the tension member of the brake beam.

The objects of the invention are to provide a snug grip between the interlocked castings and to yinsure a flrm Igrip of the device on the brake beam elements, to utilize brake beam release springs in this purpose, and to provide such an interlocking device designed to nt either the right or left sides of a beam.

Persuant` to these objects, the tie device described in the patent mentioned has been revised and a speciiic embodiment of the improvement 'is illustrated by the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of brake mechanism showing the improved interlocking tie construction in place on the tension and compression members of a brake beam.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in plan of the tie construction.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional detail of the device taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 4 is an end view of the tie construction partly in section, as` indicated by line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the tie elements.

The tie device here described is employed to obviate dependency on pins and nuts in maintaining the tension and compression members of a brake beam in place. The tie device supplements brake shoe heads for holding the tension and compression members in properly related position.

These tie devices enclose the compression and tension members at each side of the beams inwardly of the brake heads and comprise a pair of intertted castings shaped to provide sockets for receiving the compression and tension mem- Rods extending over the spring plank from beam to beam pass through the tie devices, locking the castings in place. Springs are compressed between the tie devices and the outer ends of the rods.

These springs are required to insure brake release operation and now are further utilized to maintain a snug t between the interlocked castings. This is accomplished by inclining the bearing surfaces of the castings for a wedge relationship and by shaping the tie devices for a Wedging grip on the compression member. The springs urge the wedge surfaces together.

The form and converging directions of the tension and compression members at opposite ends of the brake beam have heretofore made it impossible to lit the sockets of the same interlocking device to either end of the brake beams. Hence, it is customary to construct different tie devices for right and left ends. To eliminate such requirement the improved tie device is formed with a double conical-shaped socket as illustrated for receivingeither the right or left portion of the tension member of a beam.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, brake beams are carried by a railway car truck, one on/ each side of the spring plank I. The beams include compression members 2 and tension members 3 converging toward and arranged to carry brake shoe heads 4. The compression and tension members are received by center struts 5, in which are fulcrumed brake operating levers 6. These are linked together at 1 so that power applied to one brake beam will be transmitted to the other beam.

To prevent the beams from falling to the track, in case of accident to the main supporting means, supplemental tie means 8 receive the tension and compression members of each of the beams and are connected together by tie rods 9 extending over the spring plank I. The tie rods, which pass through aligned apertures I0 and II in the tie means, carry nuts I2 at their outer ends, and brake beam releasing springs I3 are compressed between the tie means and the nuts. Movement of the beam to brake applying position compresses the spring which, when the brakes are released, assures complete disengagement of the brake shoes.

A preferred form of tie device is illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows a pair of intertting castings I4 and I5 arranged to grip the tension and corn- -pression members. Casting I4 rests/on the top of the compression member and is formed with a flange I6 which lies along the face of the compression member. A part of casting I4 extends downwardly around the lower side of the tension member to provide a seat I'I for the tension member, and at the side of the seat is shaped to form a wedge-shaped ange I8. Casting I5 lits over the top of casting I4, enclosing seat I'I, and is shaped as at I9 to i'lt around flange I 8 in Wedging relation. A tongue 20 formed on casting I5 passes through an aperture 2I of casting I4 and wedges against the bottom surface 22 of the upper ange of the compression member. The Wedging parts of the tie means are urged together and against the compression member 2 by the brake beam releasing spring |13.

To permit use of the tie device on either side of the brake beam, the seat l1 is double conicalshaped as shown in Fig. 2, thus providing a pair of mutually `crossing channels 22 and 23. The tension member isA embraced by the curving sides of the channels, either 22 or 23, depending on whether the tie device is in use on the right or left side of a beam.

We claim:

1. The combination With a pair lof'brake beams each including compression and tension members, of tie constructions for securing together 'the compression and tension members of each 'beam comprising a pair of intertting elements formed to have a Wedge relationship with each other and with the compression member, said'elements having registering apertures, a tie rod passing through said apertures and-extending from one brake beam to :the other and a spring arranged to cause gripping of the Wedge surfaces of the tie elements `and the compression member.

2. The combination With-a pair of brake beams each including compression and tension members, of a tie construction for securing together the compression and :tension members of each Abeam comprising a pair of interfitting elements formed to have a wedge relationship with each other and with the-compression member, said elements having registering apertures, a tie rod passing through said apertures .and extending from one brake beam to the :other and a spring carried on the tie rod arranged vto cause gripping of the Wedge surfaces ofthe `tie elements and the compression member.

3. The `combination with a-,pair of brake beams each lincluding `a. Aflanged compression member and a tension member, of -tie :constructions for securing together the compression and tension members of said beam-oomprising-a pair of intertting elements, the contacting surfaces of said elements being formed to have a Wedge relationship, an aperture formed in one of said elements, a tongue formed on the other of said elements and passing through the aperture and wedging against the bottom of the ange of the compression member, said elements having registering apertures, a tie rod passing through said apertures and extending from one brake beam to the other, and a spring arranged to cause gripping of the Wedge surfaces of the tie elements and the compression member.

4. The combination with a pair oi brake beams each including compression and tension members, of tie constructions for securing together the `compression and tension members of each beam comprising a pair of intertting elements, one of the elements having a channel having opposite surfaces disposed to conform to the inclination of the tension member at either the right or left end of the beam, the contacting surfaces of said elements being formed to have la Wedge relationship and one of said elements Vhaving a surface disposed to have `a Wedge relationship with the compression member, .said elements having registering apertures, a tie rod passing throughsaid apertures and extending from one `brake beam to the other, vand a spring arranged to cause gripping of the Wedge surf-aces of .the tie elements and the compression member.

5. rIhe combination with a pair of vbrake-beams each including compression and .tension members, of tie constructions for securing `together .the compression -and tension members of each Abeam comprising a pair of interfitting elementsgformed to have a wedge relationship with each other, said elements having registering apertures, .a -tie rod-passing throughsaid apertures-and extending from one `brake beam to the other and a spring arranged to cause gripping of the wedgesurfaces of the tie elements and the compression member.

EDWIN E. VAN CLEAVE. WILLIAM SALE. 

